Launch party and reading for Joan Frank's fourth novel, winner of the Juniper Prize for Fiction, All The News I Need, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)

"Last Chance Slam! The last shot to qualify for a slot on the 2017 Berkeley Slam Team," presented by the Berkeley Poetry Slam every Wednesday, featuring a special guest poet, hosted by slam-master Jaz Sufi, music from Three Blind Mice Improv Jazz Band, cash prizes, The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, $7-$10, open sign up at 7:30, show 8:00, all ages before 10:00 (510/841-0188, www.thestarryplough.com; berkeleypoetryslam.wordpress.com)

Harriet Scott Chessman reads from her new novel, The Lost Sketchbook of Edgar Degas, about a blind woman's new understanding of life and her cousin, Degas, Mrs. Dalloway's Literary and Garden Arts, 2904 College Avenue, Berkeley, free, 7:30 (510/704-8222, www.mrsdalloways.com/events/harriet-scott-chessman)

Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz Improv Reading Series features Laura Pope, hosted by blake more, reading begins with live jazz by local musicians and an open mic with jazz, 215 Main Pub, 215 Main Street, Point Arena, free, 7:00 (707/884-9189, blake@snakelyone.com, www.facebook.com/215Main)

The Wide Net: a gathering of readers and writers of poetry with poet and editor Terry Lucas, ongoing for eight weeks, this is the sixth meeting, drop in, come with a poem, forty lines or less, by you or a favorite poet, and be prepared to read it aloud, all welcome, Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Avenue, Mill Valley, free, 1:00-3:00 (rsvp: lucas.t274@gmail.com, mtumc.org, www.terrylucas.com)

Meredith Maran presents her book, The New Old Me, her personal exploration of what it means to be a woman of a certain age, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)

Tuesdays at North Beach, a weekly poetry series celebrating international poets and showcasing local talent, presents a reading by Agneta Falk and Mauro Fortissimo, curated by Jack Hirschman, North Beach Branch Library, 850 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, 6:30 (415/522-8602, www.friendssfpl.org/events/tuesdays-at-north-beach.html)

Staff writer at The New Yorker Elif Batuman, The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them, celebrates the release of her new novel, The Idiot, City Lights Books, 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, free, 7:00 (415/362-8193, www.citylights.com)

The Holloway Series in Poetry presents a reading by Graham Foust, A Mouth in California, To Anacreon in Heaven and Other Poems, and more, open to the public, UC Berkeley, Hearst Field Annex D37, free, 6:30 (510/642-3467, hollowayreadingseries.wordpress.com/about-2)

Elif Batuman discusses her latest novel, The Idiot, about a daughter of Turkish immigrants, sacrifice, and her experiences as a freshman at Harvard, with Yuyin Li, Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life, Moe's Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, free, 7:30 (510/849-2087, www.moesbooks.com)

City Lights presents novelist Jim Shepard, The Book of Aron, reading to celebrate the release of his new collection of stories, The World to Come, introduced by Michael Ray, Managing Editor of Zoetrope Magazine, Zoetrope Cafe, 916 Kearny Street, San Francisco, free, 3:00 (415/362-8193, www.citylights.com)

The Wide Net: a gathering of readers and writers of poetry with poet and editor Terry Lucas, ongoing for eight weeks, this is the seventh meeting, drop in, come with a poem, forty lines or less, by you or a favorite poet, and be prepared to read it aloud, all welcome, Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Avenue, Mill Valley, free, 1:00-3:00 (rsvp: lucas.t274@gmail.com, mtumc.org, www.terrylucas.com)

Pegasus Books presents "Happy Hour Stories: Solano's Story Time For Adults," every last Tuesday of the month, featuring a short story reading on a theme by Pegasus staff, friends, and special guests, refreshments, Pegasus Books on Solano, 1855 Solano Avenue, Berkeley, free, 7:30 (510/525-6888, www.pegasusbookstore.com/happyhour_march2017)

Jon Raymond discusses his new novel, Free Bird, about an all-American family and their moral crisis around death and politics in America today, with Zoetrope's Michael Ray, Green Apple Books, 1231 9th Avenue, San Francisco, free, 7:30 (415/742-5833, http://www.greenapplebooks.com/event/9th-ave-jon-raymond)

University of San Francisco Emerging Writers Festival presents a reading by short story fiction writer Vanessa Hua, Deceit and Other Possibilities winner of the Asian/Pacific Award for Literature, poet Sam Sax, Madness, winner of The National Poetry Series, and nonfiction writer Mike Scalise, The Brand New Catastrophe, reception follows, Fromm Hall, FR 120, Xavier Auditorium, University of San Francisco, 2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco, free, 7:30-9:30 (415/422-6066, www.usfca.edu/event/2017-03-29-1930/emerging-writers-festival)

University of San Francisco Emerging Writers Festival presents "The Writing Life Panel" with Cortney Lamar Charleston, Patricia Park, Nicole Dennis-Benn, Sam Sax, and Mike Scalise, a discussion of their experiences in the writing industry, with Q&A, McLaren Complex, MC 250, University of San Francisco, 2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco, free, 4:30-6:00 (415/422-6066, www.usfca.edu/event/2017-03-29-1630/emerging-writers-festival-the-writing-life-panel)

Independent scholar Tim Stroshane reads from and discusses his new book, Drought, Water Law, and the Origins of California's Central Valley Project, an account of how water rights were designed as a key part of the state's largest public water system, the Central Valley Project, Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, free, 7:30 (510/649-1320, www.pegasusbookstore.com/tim_stroshane)

Fiction writer Lauren Grodstein reads from and discusses her book, Our Short History, about a successful New York political consultant and single mother who wrestles with her terminal illness and her ex's new presence in their son's life, Green Apple Books, 506 Clement Street, San Francisco, free, 7:00 (415/387-2272, http://www.greenapplebooks.com/event/clement-lauren-grodstein)

Poetry Flash presents a poetry reading by Katherine Hastings, Shakespeare & Stein Walk Into a Bar, and a poetry performance by G.P. Skratz, Sundae Missile: the Mass of the Church of the Center that will not Hold, request ASL interpreters one week in advance at editor@poetryflash.org, wheelchair accessible, Moe's Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, 7:30 (510/849-2087, www.moesbooks.com)

Subterranean SF Reading Series celebrates the release of Bradley Spinelli's book, The Painted Gun, a washed-up ex-journalist looking for a missing girl in San Francisco is framed by a Guatemalan hit man for a series of murders, this event takes place at an undisclosed location, invitations will be available at City Lights Books, 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, beginning March 20, no reservations accepted, free on a first come, first serve basis, 7:00 (415/362-8193x24, www.citylights.com)

Ursula Werner reads from her debut novel, The Good at Heart, based on her great grandfather's reluctant participation in Hitler's cabinet, Mrs. Dalloway's Literary and Garden Arts, 2904 College Avenue, Berkeley, free, 7:30 (510/704-8222, www.mrsdalloways.com/events/ursula-werner)